2023 F-150 Lightning Windshield Cracked After Defrost—Ford Won’t Cover It! Help Needed

[Grumpy2]

Sorry but I feel better that I am not alone Yes I will know longer be raving about this truck ( yes I love it ) but I will be thinking about trading it in on something other than a Ford.

I hope you can find a better insurance option and keep the truck.

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[BeerNuts]

Defrost alone is not a common cause of windshield failure. The design of the glass on the lightning is the same as any F150, the best selling vehicle in North America. A systematic defect is very unlikely. Talk to your insurance agent about all the things you are reading about here. As another commenter mentioned, you are an elder, so I expect you to be experienced with such matters.

Are you sure it's the same as an Ice F150? I think I read that the Lighting has some kind of noise suppression.

 

[BeerNuts]

I hope you can find a better insurance option and keep the truck.

I bought the best extra warranty ( yes it cost more ) and if this is how Ford wants to be then no one can fault me for not wanting to stay with them.

 

[earlyadopt]

Sorry that happened to you. What was your cost to replace? What was the insurance treatment? Are you in the US or Canada?

$1,400 CDN, insurance will cover the cost but I have a high deductible to keep cost down. So out of the pocket it comes. Oh well, the government prints this stuff every day.
I do know what the other guy is saying, I am always careful to warm the car up and when this happens, its frustrating. I do notice with the machE, the body takes more stress if you hit a pot hole, the suspension is firmer. In the cold, you can tell the glass is taking more stress. Even the glass ontop sounds like it is taking more impact.

 

[Duke_239]

Are you sure it's the same as an Ice F150? I think I read that the Lighting has some kind of noise suppression.

Well, I asked the AI:

AI Overview
Learn more

Yes, an F-150 Lightning windshield is essentially the same as an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) F-150 windshield; they share the same basic design and dimensions, meaning you can use the same replacement windshield for both vehicles.

Key points to remember:

• Minimal design differences:
  While there may be slight variations in trim or specific features depending on the trim level, the overall windshield shape and mounting points are identical between the Lightning and standard F-150.
• Interchangeability:
  This means you can purchase a standard F-150 windshield and have it installed on an F-150 Lightning without any issues.

 

[BeerNuts]

Well, I asked the AI:

AI Overview
Learn more

Yes, an F-150 Lightning windshield is essentially the same as an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) F-150 windshield; they share the same basic design and dimensions, meaning you can use the same replacement windshield for both vehicles.

Key points to remember:

• Minimal design differences:
  While there may be slight variations in trim or specific features depending on the trim level, the overall windshield shape and mounting points are identical between the Lightning and standard F-150.
• Interchangeability:
  This means you can purchase a standard F-150 windshield and have it installed on an F-150 Lightning without any issues.

The glass place I called said there were 4 different ones and needed my vin #

 

[Duke_239]

The glass place I called said there were 4 different ones and needed my vin #

I googled it, late model F1-150s take three different part numbers, ML3Z-1503100-G, -J, and -H. Rain sensor, auto-dim, and heated steering wheel ar the varaibles. The lightnings mainly take the -J, unless you have a ligtning with no heated steering wheel. These are all standard F-150 parts. All the lower letters (A through F) have been superceed.

 

[twodogsdennis]

I had this happen to me last month and started a thread on this forum. The problem for me is that when I initiate preconditioning on the Pro, the defroster can kick on so high and so hot that if there is thick ice on the bottom of the windshield the glass warms unevenly and the crack forms. No one, even with a magnifying glass, could see the chip but the Ford dealership tech used a pin along the crack to find a chip. I spoke with Ford Corp and she was useless. Unless you leave the truck parked in a garage and never drive, chances are the wind can send microscopic sand particles into the glass and Ford won't warranty the chip.
Ford needs to give us the ability to control preconditioning, certainly when it comes to how or if we want to warm the windshield. Engineers and marketing are not doing us a favor here.

 

[earlyadopt]

I had this happen to me last month and started a thread on this forum. The problem for me is that when I initiate preconditioning on the Pro, the defroster can kick on so high and so hot that if there is thick ice on the bottom of the windshield the glass warms unevenly and the crack forms. No one, even with a magnifying glass, could see the chip but the Ford dealership tech used a pin along the crack to find a chip. I spoke with Ford Corp and she was useless. Unless you leave the truck parked in a garage and never drive, chances are the wind can send microscopic sand particles into the glass and Ford won't warranty the chip.
Ford needs to give us the ability to control preconditioning, certainly when it comes to how or if we want to warm the windshield. Engineers and marketing are not doing us a favor here.

You can pre-condition your vehicle with no environmental on but if you want to preheat the cabin, I am not sure if you can select how the heat is distributed. My XLT Lightening 2024 has a heat pump so it warms slower that my MachE that has almost instant heat.

 

[BeerNuts]

I had this happen to me last month and started a thread on this forum. The problem for me is that when I initiate preconditioning on the Pro, the defroster can kick on so high and so hot that if there is thick ice on the bottom of the windshield the glass warms unevenly and the crack forms. No one, even with a magnifying glass, could see the chip but the Ford dealership tech used a pin along the crack to find a chip. I spoke with Ford Corp and she was useless. Unless you leave the truck parked in a garage and never drive, chances are the wind can send microscopic sand particles into the glass and Ford won't warranty the chip.
Ford needs to give us the ability to control preconditioning, certainly when it comes to how or if we want to warm the windshield. Engineers and marketing are not doing us a favor here.

Yes
I can show you cars from the 1950s or older with perfect glass. 75-year-old glass

 

[RickLightning]

I'm point is the Dealers ( I took it to one, but called to others )and Ford could not tell me why it cracked therefore I think it had to be defective or don't use defrost on a cold windshield. If I am the only one with this problem then mine was/is defective. I do hear what you are saying, but I know of cars in the 1940s-1950s with perfect windshields.

So you're comparing clear glass windshields made 75 to 85 years ago to windshields made today that are technologically advanced, different composition, tints, coatings, etc?

The F-150 was the top selling vehicle in America until 2024. Millions on the road with the exact same windshield.

 

[RocketGhost]

Just an FYI for folks on the forum, in some states in the US separate glass coverage insurance is not available. You'd have to file a claim under comprehensive coverage.

 

[BeerNuts]

So you're comparing clear glass windshields made 75 to 85 years ago to windshields made today that are technologically advanced, different composition, tints, coatings, etc?

The F-150 was the top selling vehicle in America until 2024. Millions on the road with the exact same windshield.

Correct! So mine must have been defective.

 

[RickLightning]

Just an FYI for folks on the forum, in some states in the US separate glass coverage insurance is not available. You'd have to file a claim under comprehensive coverage.

True. But 99% of people who buy a $50,000 - $90,000 vehicle don't even bother to check...

As I said, when I got our Mach-E and looked at the glass all over including the roof, I immediately looked into a zero glass deductible, and switched to it. I have replaced it twice, within 5 months of each other too. Also replaced my Ford Fusion windshield and my 2013 F-150 windshield, all from rock chips. That's 4 windshields in like 6 years.

 

[Heliian]

Are you sure it's the same as an Ice F150? I think I read that the Lighting has some kind of noise suppression.

75-year-old glass

It's called soundscreen and it's applicable to a whole bunch of Ford vehicles, my old ice f150 had it.

3rd winter on my windshield and it's fine, I precondition every day, I'm preconditioning right now, no problems. If it did break then for sure it's from something that hit it.

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